Bicycles have proven to be very efficient vehicles for converting human energy into mechanical energy in order to produce self-propelled motion. Most bicycles include a metallic frame that comprises a set of tubes that are welded together. The wheels, the drive assembly, and the steering assembly are all mounted to the frame to complete the bicycle. Recently, there have been significant efforts to substitute frames formed out of composite material for frames formed out of metal. An advantage of a composite frame is that it offers as much structural strength as a metal frame and weighs significantly less. Moreover, composite frames, unlike conventional frames, do not rust and corrode when exposed to the elements. These advantages are expected to help make composite-frame bicycles very popular for use as mountain bicycles and other types of bicycles where it is desirable to have a frame with significant mechanical strength and that can withstand the rigors of contact with water, mud, rocks, and other wearing material.
Composite bicycle frames are typically formed out of nonmetallic material that is shaped in a mold. Owing to the expenses associated with forming the molds, it has proven very expensive to provide the differently sized composite frames required to build bicycles for large numbers of cyclists who are themselves of different statures. Moreover, in order to satisfy the bicycling population's demand for differently sized bicycles, the retailer, the distributor, an&or the manufacturer are forced to have a large number of already assembled frames in inventory. At a minimum, this requires a large amount of storage space and at worst may require those involved in the manufacturing and sale of bicycles to tie up large amounts of capitol in inventory for which there may seldom be a need. Some bicycle manufactures have attempted to overcome this problem by providing composite frames with metal fittings and fixtures that can be adjustably set to accommodate the needs of differently sized cyclists. However, this solution has not proven to be wholly satisfactory. The addition of these metal components increases the weight of the assembled bicycle so as to detract from the advantages of the composite frame.